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Category:Streamers of the United States Army

1. Background. a. Battle honors were first depicted by inscribing the names of battles on the organizational color or guidon. On 1861-08-25, Major General John C. Fremont, commanding the Western Department, commended troops from Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri for their extraordinary service in the battle of Wilson's Creek, near Springfield, Missouri which had occurred 10 days earlier. The Union soldiers had fought a Confederate force five times as large and the battle ended in a moral victory for the Union Army. Fremont ordered the word "Springfield" to be emblazoned on the colors of the units involved in the fighting.

b. General Order 19, War Department, 1862-02-22, prescribed that there should be inscribed upon the color or guidons of all regiments and batteries the names of the battles in which they had borne a meritorious part.

c. On 1890-02-01, the use of inscribed battle honors upon the national and regimental colors was discontinued and engraved silver rings, now called silver bands, were authorized. This practice continued until 1918 when the silver bands were in short supply and the War Department authorized the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces (Gen. John J. Pershing) to locally procure ribbon as a substitute and inscribe on the ribbon strips the name of special battles and major operations that color bearing units of the AEF had been engaged in during World War I. These ribbon strips became the forerunners of our present day campaign streamers.

d. Hand embroidered silk streamers were introduced on 1920-06-03. The original directive prescribed that there would be a silk streamer for each war in which the organization participated in the theatre of operations and to be the color of the campaign ribbon for the different wars. The name of the battle or campaign of a war was embroidered on the ribbon.

e. Unit award streamers were also first authorized in 1920 when the War Department authorized a blue silk streamer with the name of the action embroidered thereon. The streamer was adopted to reflect organizations "Mentioned In Orders" by the War Department for meritorious service in action.

2. Current Streamers/Decorations. Only campaign streamers are displayed on the Army flag and they are 2 3/4 inches wide and 4 feet long. Streamers (2 3/4 inches wide and 3 feet in length) are currently authorized for display by organizations authorized a distinguishing flag.

3. Army Flag Streamer Set. A streamer for each campaign in which Army organizations participated is displayed on the Army flag. There are currently 178 streamers displayed on the Army flag. Units, which received campaign credit participation for these campaigns, may display a three-foot streamer without dates on their organizational flag.

4. Unit Award Streamers. Unit award streamers are used by organizations to indicate the unit has been awarded a unit decoration. Both foreign and U.S. unit decorations are reflected through the use of unit award streamers. In addition to the regular size unit award streamers for display by units on the organizational flag, unit award streamers (1 3/8 inches wide and 2 feet long) are displayed by separate companies authorized a guidon. The inscription and device, if required, will be as indicated on the unit's lineage and honors.

5. Streamer Devices. The following devices are embroidered on the streamers of organizations when specified in the lineage and honors. Devices are not placed on streamers displayed on the Army flag.

6. Display of Streamers on the Army Flag. Streamers are affixed to the attaching device in a counterclockwise manner. LEXINGTON 1775 is the first streamer and IRAQ CAMPAIGN will be the last streamer. When the Army flag is not being carried, the streamers will be arranged in such a manner that LEXINGTON 1775 is displayed in the preeminent position, i.e., in the center facing forward and completely identifiable. The streamer awarded for the most recent campaign will also be visible.

7. Silver Bands. On 2004-12-07, the G-1 approved a policy change as follows: Guidon bearing elements displaying silver bands for campaign participation and war service credit, will now display a streamer one and three eighths inch hoist by a two foot fly in lieu of the silver bands. Silver bands will no longer be used. These guidon bearing units are also now allowed to display all regimental honors instead of displaying only earned honors. This will be accomplished by using the laurel wreath as the earned honor device on the guidon campaign streamers.

8. Procurement. Streamers may be obtained by submitting a manual requisition in accordance with chapter 9, AR 840-10. A copy of the unit's lineage and honors or a statement of service must be included with the requisition. Battalions and squadrons of regiments will attach a copy of the lineage and honors or statement of service for the regiment if a separate lineage and honors for the battalion is not maintained. Streamers displayed by these battalions/squadrons are a duplicate of the streamers authorized for the regiment unless the battalion is authorized an additional streamer. Separate lineage and honors are not maintained for the reserve battalions.